Holiday rentals in Umbria, Italy

Umbria Blog | Massimo’s Truffle Book

Massimo Fignani is chef-cook and he owns an organic farm in Tuscany. The farm produces Italian products like truffle and Lardo di Colonnata IGP.

Massimo was present at the yearly Christmas market in Siena, Il Mercato nel Campo. On a portable electric cooktop he prepared the most delicious pasta dishes with truffle sauce.

I have made a video of Massimo in which he explains the story of the precious and delicate flavor called ” truffle”.

The truffle “fungo” epigeo grows underground. For the development of the truffle the environmental conditions are essential. The climate, the soil humidity, type of soil and trees determine whether truffles can grow. The white truffle is one of the most precious and wanted truffles in Italy. One finds them mostly in Tuscany and Piedmont. There are many different kinds of truffles, also black truffles are cultivated in Italy.

white truffle

The best period to eat the white truffle “Bianchetto” is March to Aprile, while the black truffles “Nero Estivo” and “Nero Uncinato” are mainly harvested in the summer.

Black truffles can be used raw or lightly cooked, while white truffles are carefully wiped clean and should never be cooked. White truffle is more fragrant than the black truffle.

Massimo Fignani is the author of the book “I Tartufi … secondo me – Truffles … in my opinion“. The book contains 58 truffle recipes which are easy to prepare. It is written in Italian and English. You can order the book directly via: info@massimofignani.it

“”Tuscany experience. There is only one thing that has a more exciting scent then truffles… the skin of a woman”. By Massimo Fignani.